About Phil Hansen

“Embrace the Shake Summary”

With a status of a student in an art school, Phil Hansen started plotting against his shallow limitations. As he continued to look for answers, a sudden shake in his drawing hand, made it clear that something is cooking.

From the moment he began studying, Phil advocated for pointillism. Such style wasn’t typical in the institution he had joined in. Drawing tinny and mathematically accurate dots led to nerve damage that turned out to be permanent.

Such turn of events forced him to abandon the studies, for an undisclosed period of time. He spent the next three years in recovery, disabled to follow his heart as an artist.

After graduation, Hansen got employed, and for the first time, he had all the resources to replenish his art supplies. Nevertheless, not even such circumstances and the availability of art kit broke the ice. Phil failed to find inspiration. Such overwhelming feeling and the accessibility of choices left him “paralyzed.”

So, it wasn’t much of a choice, and he set on a new adventure with an intention to destroy all self-imposed boundaries and restrictions. Embracing and accepting the shake, as his current state, was job number one.

With dynamism in his heart, Phil Hansen hunted monsters hidden in the mind of every human being. For instance, accepting the dollars’ worth of supplies illustrates one of those shallow limitations. Following such vision made him an unpredicted man, who enforced methods and laws that had little common grounds with the traditional methods.

At one occasion, he started painting with karate chops, instead of using brushes and other conventional toolkits that are applicable in the industry.

Such incentive and ideas, convert Hansen into a creative force, with no barriers anywhere near him. After all, possessing the resourcefulness is vital for growth.

As the project drew to a close, Hansen had lost all the wish and passion for showing off his real masterpiece. Many felt the unshakeable nature of his work, despite all the factors that “conspired” against him.

Tangible results no longer provided the eagerness to pursue glory and financial stability. Hansen continued experimenting, in spite of all the signs that pointed at material inefficiency. The impulse stood up against everything that posed a threat to his methods, which was later confirmed with the replica of Michelangelo’s famous creation – on a banana.

Your horizon and viewpoints can perceive constraints uniquely. The creativeness and its sources vary from person to person. The ability to dig down and find these possibilities can grant you the edge. Mind blockades must be surpassed with caution and stability that is further stimulated by openness.

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About Tim Hurson

Tim Hurson is a motivational speaker and creativity theorist. Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, he spent most of his adult life in Toronto and is currently a Canadian citizen. He has written two paradigm-shifting books, “Think Better” and “Never Be Closing.”

“Think Better Summary”

You know how to think, right?

After all, you’re doing it all the time! Even now, while you’re reading this sentence, you’re thinking about what you’ll eat for lunch today or whether you’ll make it in time to pick up the kids from school.

See the problem?

That’s thinking, all right; but, it’s certainly not good thinking!

In order to do that – first of all, you need to focus and avoid distractions. Or, to use the Hurson’s terminology from “Think Better” to leave behind the animal brains and get a human one.

Because, if you’re constantly jumping from one thing to another, you’re using your “monkey mind” and nothing more. On the other hand, if you’re merely thinking about surviving, eating, having sex or fleeing, you’re using your reptilian, “gator brain”.

Finally, if you’re a conformist, your brain is suffering from a severe case of “elephant tether.” You see, elephant trainers in India teach the small elephants that they cannot break the chains; so, when they get older, they don’t even try doing it.

As a human being there are two ways to think about things: reproductively, and productively. It’s important to understand each of them and even more important to understand how to use them.

Reproductive thinking is based on the power of recombining and its goal is to save your brain some energy. It has three levels.

The first one is “the unconscious”. It’s what you do when you ride your bike or brush your teeth. No need to reinvent this: it’s good the way it is for all eternity.

The second one is the “intentional”. Or, better known as “the checklist method”. Standardized procedures are good if you’re a doctor or a pilot. You’re not supposed to rethink anything in either case. Just follow the practice.

Finally, the third level of reproductive thinking is what the Japanese refer to as “kaizen.” It means “good change” or “continuous improvement.” In other words: reproducing with a style and one or two mindful upgrades.

Productive thinking is the next stage of thinking. It’s not merely “kaizen” – or “good change” – but “tenkaizen” – or “good revolution.” In other words, you’re not just adding improved spikes to the wheel, but you’re reinventing it altogether.

And productive thinking consists of two “thinkings”: creative and critical thinking. Creative thinking is the part when you get all the ideas. Critical thinking is the part when you analyze them. People usually make the mistake of confusing them, not understanding that new ideas are weak and that critical analysis should come later, and not during the expansive process of creating something new.

Tim Hurson is famous for developing his unique ThinkX Productive Thinking Model. It’s a six-step process, which strives to help people think better.

The first stage is the “What’s Going On?” stage; it’s all about determining what makes you think about a new solution the current situation. Secondly, it’s the “What’s Success” stage, when the thing in focus is your vision. Next, you move on to “What’s the Question?” phase, when you need to focus on finding the right questions.

Step 4, finally, is generating answers. Which will lead you to Stage 5, or “Forging the Solution.” This is a good moment to use the POWER method, namely, reviewing your ideas in terms of positives, objections, what else-s, enhancements and remedies.

The final step is “Aligning the Resources.” Or the EFFECT stage, when you need to plan six things: energy, funds, free time, expertise, conditions, and things to do.

Key Lessons from “Think Better”

1. You Have Three Animal Brains Inside Your Mind
2. There Are Two Ways of Thinking: Reproductive and Productive
3. Productive Thinking Consists of Creative and Critical Thinking

You Have Three Animal Brains Inside Your Mind

Even though you’re a human, that doesn’t mean you’re thinking the way a human can. In fact, animals are capable of thinking about most of the things you think about – in the exact same way you think about them. In fact, you have three different animal brains inside your mind.

A monkey mind – which makes you jump from one thing to another. A gator brain – which makes you think about survival. And an elephant tether – which makes you a conformist.

There Are Two Ways of Thinking: Reproductive and Productive

There are two ways to think of things: reproductive and productive.

The idea behind reproductive thinking is a fairly simple one: you reproduce existing patterns. And you can do this in one of three ways: unconsciously, intentionally, or kaizen. You reproduce things unconsciously when you’re driving a car; intentionally – when you’re following procedures; and the kaizen-way when you’re improving them through repetition.

Productive Thinking Consists of Creative and Critical Thinking

Productive thinking consists of two parts: creative and critical. The creative part is when you’re brainstorming ideas. It’s the more powerful – but the simpler one as well. The critical part is what’s difficult. Tim Hurson has developed a six-step process through which you can master it.

It starts with defining the problem – and then envisioning the perfect solution. The following two steps are asking the right questions and generating strong answers. You move to the solution only in step 5. And you plan how to do it – in the final, sixth step.

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It also requires teamwork, since many innovations need to happen across disciplinary boundaries.

However, although that innovation is possible, it seems that not many people are practicing it. The problem of it lies in how our society is functioning: the families and the educational system.

We will explain the changes needed to happen in order to fuel innovation in the key lessons below. And now, we will take a quick look at the three types of innovators that society needs:

First, the world needs STEM Innovators. STEM innovators are people who work in mathematics, technology, engineering, and science.

Now, you may be thinking that the emphasis has been on these fields for a number of years, but colleges have been putting too much focus on academic research and reward those who publish through the traditional channels and areas.

Traditional science classes do not help to nurture the culture of innovation in any way.

Next, we need Social Innovators, who cover an opposite array of interests than STEM innovators.

These innovators come from different liberal backgrounds and are striving to change the world for the better and fight the injustices that happen. They do not innovate things, like STEM innovators do, but change the actual world and society.

Finally, Educational Innovators are needed to prepare the “soil” for the future generations.

In other words, the educational system exists to pass on the gathered knowledge on the next generations, and not to create and induce new knowledge.

However, this transmission of facts only crushes students’ thirst for knowledge and curiosity.

Educational innovators must think of a way to change the system in order to create generations with actual critical thinking and the problem-solving world which students can readily use in the real world.

Now, let’s move on to the areas that need to change so these types of innovators can come into existence.

About David Rock

David Rock is the co-founder and Director of the NeuroLeadership Institute – a coinage he invented. He is the co-editor of the “NeuroLeadership Journal” and the author of three books, which, besides the one we’re summarizing, include “Quiet Leadership” and “Coaching with the Brain in Mind.”

“Your Brain at Work Summary”

First of all, it’s possibly the most important organ of your body, the one which distinguishes you from the rest of the animals. Secondly, not much is known about how it functions. And, finally, we’re only starting to begin understanding how we can control it.

In “Your Brain at Work,” – a book with its own blog – David Rock summarizes some of the most important recent findings on the subject. And teaches you how you can use them to improve your productivity and overall happiness.

Because let’s face it, you need such help!

The world is full of distractions – as never before in human history – and you really need to learn how to focus.

However, this is far from an easy task! But, not because of you, says Rock; it’s because of your brain. As complex as it is, it has “surprising performance limitations.”

For example, did you know that your brain can only do five things with the information which reaches him?

Namely, it can understand it, decide something about it, recall some other relevant information, memorize it, and/or inhibit it. And Rock warns you that in order for your brain to work properly, you need to think of these five functions as actors on the stage of your brain. If they don’t have the proper commands, the information will be lost or misunderstood.

Which brings us to the most important information concerning your brain. And yes: this info asks to be understood, not inhibited.

Key Lessons from “Your Brain at Work”

Your Brain Is, In Fact, Very Limited Organ

When it comes to handling information, your beautiful brain is a fairly limited piece of hardware. Namely, its software is preprogrammed to do no more than five things with it: understand it, react to it, memorize it, recollect it, inhibit it.

Everything that happens in your brain is just a product of the recombination of these processes.

Reappraise Your Emotions and Stop Them from Messing with Your Brain

Your emotions are messy. They activate too many areas of your brain. Use “cognitive reappraisal” to control them. First label them, and then you can do quite a few things with them. Like reframing, reinterpreting, reordering, and repositioning them.

Collaborate Effectively: Learn What SCARF Is

Whether you like it or not, collaboration is part of your everyday existence. Well, there are ways to collaborate more effectively. Rock explains the SCARF method. It’s an acronym which stands for status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness, and fairness. These are cognition’s social elements.

Which means, both you and your partners need to be aware of them so you can work together properly.

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How to Carve Out Creative Space in a World of Schedules, Budgets, and Bosses

“Art Thinking” by Amy Whitaker is an inspiring book which aims to help businesspeople become more creative, and creative people more business-oriented. It’s a thinking strategy which combines the best parts of both worlds, and which aims to help you convert your initial idea into a full-blown project. Regardless of whether you’re an artist or a businessman.

About Amy Whitaker

Amy Whitaker is an assistant professor at New York University. She earned an MBA from Yale’s School of Management, before earning an MFA at University College London’s Slade School. Combining her knowledge from both fields, she is one of the world’s foremost experts in the relationship between art and business.

Art Thinking Summary

Let us guess: if you’re interested in business, poetry is not your cup of tea. And, of course, if you like art, business is not exactly something which gets your juices flowing!

Well, in this day and age, neither is really a smart decision.

Creativity is highly regarded in the world of business, and it seems that companies who know this, do much better than the rest. On the other hand, regardless of whether you want to put on a play or publish a book, it’s good to have some business smarts, unless you want to end up the archetypal desolate living-on-the-streets artist.

“Art Thinking” is the way to make the most of both art and business. It’s a method devised by Amy Whitaker, who should know more than most. In fact, she has grades in both business and painting, and teaches the latter to the former and the former to the latter.

So, what exactly is art thinking?

It’s a process of thinking by which you can employ the full potential of your creativity in business and your business expertise in art. And it’s based on the premise that, in a way, everyone is an artist. And most of the human endeavors are similar to creating a work of art.

After all, what do a composer, an investor, and a top entrepreneur have in common?

They try to create something new and different of the material available to them. And, in Whitaker’s opinion, this process is not merely a movement from point A to point B. It’s something much stranger: it’s an act of “inventing point B” and striving towards it!

Now, invention is not something that happens in the meantime! So, you’ll need to give it some time. It’s hard to do this in a world of so many distractions, and, subsequently, you can understand better the subtitle of Whitaker’s book.

Let us remind you of it: “How to Carve Out Creative Space in a World of Schedules, Budgets, and Bosses.”

The answer is pretty straightforward: set aside some “studio time” Ideas will start flowing only if you clear your mind of the disturbances around. You don’t have to have a project. It will come to you.

However, you do have to have something Whitaker calls a “lighthouse question”. It’s the main problem you want to overcome. In fact, it’s an alternative to the SMART objectives we talked about in another summary. This one’s acronym is MDQ: Major Dramatic Question.

Whether it’s a book-writing or a business project, the MDQ is the core of your activities. It’s what will guide you forward. And what will define your progress.

Key Lessons from “Art Thinking”

1. Businesspeople, Take Out Your Easels!
2. Artists, Build Yourself a Boat!
3. Everybody, Go Out of the Weeds and Follow the Lighthouse!

Artists, Build Yourself a Boat

This is another one of Amy Whitaker’s strategies. Building a boat means building a financial framework for the load of your project. Because the heavier it gets, the more difficult it may become to actually transform it into reality. So, it’s good to learn a thing or two about “portfolio thinking”. So that, when you need some money, you have a ready-made solution to try and get it!

Everybody, Go Out of the Weeds and Follow the Lighthouse

Being in the weeds means being unable to find the solution to a difficult part of the equation that is your project. Don’t worry – it happens to everyone. You’ll just need to focus and give yourself some “grace period” to overcome the difficulty. Having a lighthouse question – i.e. a final objective to follow – will help you a lot.

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“Creative Schools Summary”

Pretty much all countries worldwide don’t have the tools nor the will to modernize the education system. Let’s take it from the top – Who created the modern-version of schools? You certainly did not, but it sure does concerns you, because each one of us is an integral part of the same processes.

Well, one thing is certain, whosoever invented this institution didn’t plan to form an organization, which will foster creativity. In general, the talent comes secondary, and the students must abide by the rules of the teachers.

Formal education was designed to produce healthy workforce or people who can create value while working in the factories. So, that was the day when exploitation of workers officially started.

So, the Westerners launched a wide-spread education campaign for one apparent reason – to produce labor for the industries with such demands. Considering the fact that education is performed in line with linear processes and hierarchy, schools play a vital part in developing such workforce.

After conducting a series of investigations and experiments, skeptics realized that all individuals absorb the knowledge uniquely. So, think again if you insist that your child should perform exquisitely in school.

In reality, schools are not aware of the innate talent dwelling within these kids. Regardless of where you come from, we all have been “whipped” by the system, which treats us as if we’re robots. Perhaps the style doesn’t fit your intelligence, but who cares, right?

Not just that, remember when you first visited an educational institution. The principal enforced a set of principles that didn’t suit you, but you were forced to act upon them. For instance, some first graders have a tough time understanding math, but they flourish in other areas and vice versa.

Instead of grouping the children by their abilities, the system sorts them by age.

Generally speaking, we can draw information and inspiration from the systems that actually work quite well – like organic farming. This type of cultivation includes four fundamental principles: Health, Ecology, Fairness, and Care.

Organic farming is not oriented towards treacherous ideals, but instead, its primary source derives from care and equality. Now, you can really get the big picture, how present and future generations will taste its benefits.

At first glance, one may think that these principles are not compatible with education. However, you should have in mind that these methods are not specially developed for organic farming, but their essence is created for achieving success.

The conventional education model is no longer appropriate because it emphasizes achievements rather than putting an accent on talent and creativity. The tendency to apply these tips puts the whole world in danger because we put at risk the well-being of the future generations.

Evidently, many of the students regardless of their age are bored during the classes. An ignorant person would say, “Well that’s only normal and natural” – but is it really? Just imagine, how can the childish innocence and curiosity suddenly disappear the minute your child enters the classroom?

The teachers take this sign as a lack of respect towards the elders, but in truth, they must adjust their methods and thus spark creativity.

If you ever become a teacher, then it’s up to you to spark and ignite that creativeness, rather than burying it. Don’t go for mediocrity, and build your private generation of geniuses.

Here are a few tips.

First, engaging the students in open-discussions, and allowing them to share their views will gradually produce masters and creative individuals.

Beyond that, wise teachers realize that not all students perceive the learning material in the same way.

And most importantly, great teachers must foster self-belief and continually remind them to stay calm, efficient and productive while conducting some task.

To sum up; in order to put this idea into action, the community must be brave enough and advocate for such modification that will undoubtedly generate positive results.

Key Lessons from “Creative Schools”

1. The real truth about kids2.Suitable scheme for achieving victory3.The decay of western society

The real truth about kids

Babies are natural learners, and they are restless to learn more about this world.

All the time, you have to quench their thirst for knowledge by giving them answers to their questions – so declaring that young adults are not so much into learning is totally incorrect.

Suitable scheme for achieving victory

When education is perceived from an impartial standpoint, a full-scale change is crucial for getting out of this bubble.

Although the future is uncertain, we must prepare our successors for the trickiness that lies ahead in all forms.

The decay of western society

In the end, we produce a workforce that is far from reaching its potential, and thus poverty comes into view in the less modernized communities.

Neglected by the society, a large portion of these individuals end up penniless, prosecuted and unhappy.

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Are facts and concrete information the only solution to reach full discovery of a complex entity – is an intriguing question.

“A Short History of Nearly Everything” is designed to stimulate free-flowing ideas and creative thinking that will aid humanity in a battle for a higher level of wisdom and intellect.

About Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson is one of America’s finest authors, with several bestsellers. He is known for his wide range of expertise such as science, travel, linguistics, etc.

Bill earned the respect of the British People by portraying Great Britain in Notes From A Small Island, in a humorous way.

“A Short History of Nearly Everything Summary”

From today’s standpoint, the astrophysicists and other scientists can agree that, almost 98% of the universe was created in less than three minutes. Although the forces contributing to such unexplainable establishment are subjected to lots of discussions, no one is yet absolutely sure for the cause of this creation.

As vast as this universe can be, it’s estimated that the span of it’s close to one hundred billion light years, with no signs of stopping in terms of expansion.

The history of the space leaves even the greatest minds into confusion. Not only that it’s unimaginable in size and scope, but also, it’s beyond the fundamental laws of physics. Astronomers assume that there are approximately 140 billion galaxies, which are actually in our field of investigation.

Figuratively speaking, if these galaxies were representatives of a single fruit, you could feed the entire planet. Probably now, you can understand the big picture, of how enigmatic our “home” is. It’s like being in a cave; even though it’s enormous and massive, you’re not sure what might be hiding or are there any signs of life – other than you, of course.

Science, astronomy, and astrophysics are still on the edge when it comes to this question. It’s best if you are not inclined towards one solution or the other, and perceive things impartially. We haven’t gathered enough facts, and we don’t have enough resources that will give us some valuable insights.

Many renowned scientists have shared their viewpoints, including professor Frank Drake, who declared that humans are probably only 1 out of millions of advanced societies.

Paleontologists by investigating fossils have tried to determine the Earth’s age and how this record can later be divided into epochs.

However, to further understand our advancement and technological enhancement, it’s advisable that you learn the ropes of Newton’s three laws of motion and Einstein’s theory.

These laws serve a higher purpose than merely understanding that one universal body is affected by other/s and vice versa. For instance, thanks to Newton’s revelation, or laws, scientists can even measure the weight of the earth – a task impossible to conduct without this resource.

Albert Einstein realized that time, weight, and pretty much all other concepts are nothing but relative. For some people, this theory is a tough bite to digest but look at this way – To get from one city to another, you may see it would take me about an hour. What if you are traveling with an airplane? i

As you can see, the outcome depends on other factors, which makes your arrival relative.

Studying is not always the route to your “Eureka moment“. That same fact was discovered by scientists who tried to penetrate deep into atomic-mysteries by utilizing the conventional laws of physics.

This theory gives rise to various ideas and facts.

Even if you are not familiar with the importance of the quantum theory, it’s suitable to be aware of how it messes with people’s minds rather than providing clarity.

This branch delivers two subcategories linked to laws of nature: First, it includes the subatomic world and the other is reserved for the noble universe.

Let’s return to our home-base

In general, a vast portion of our planet is entirely inhabitable, and inaccessible to humans. According to one study, nearly 99.5 % of the Earth’s belongs to the wilderness, where you cannot find signs of civilization.

When it comes to land, only 12% is habitable, leaving 88% to mother nature.

Key Lessons from “A Short History of Nearly Everything”

1. This kingdom belongs to the bacteria 2.Einstein’s revelation3.The number of Earth’s residents

This kingdom belongs to the bacteria

Often referred as “sick,” germaphobes are strict when it comes to bacteria. Washing your hands, and bathing will not give you the desired effect because they’ll always surround you.

Take this fact under consideration: An average human has at least one trillion bacteria only on its skin.

Einstein’s revelation

The theory of relativity, however, struggles to manipulate the sequence of the subatomic world, and the quantum theory, on the other hand, returns the favor, by not being adequate to clarify concepts like weight, time or gravity.

The number of Earth’s residents

It’s totally ignorant to declare that we have many different species living on this planet. Such inaccurate statement produces little value.

The truth is, a large portion of these species are still undiscovered, and it’ll take time to identify all 3 – 200 million creatures.

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MicroSummary: “How to Read Literature Like a Professor,” written by beloved American literary lecturer Thomas C. Foster, is the most popular book of its kind, aiming to teach you that there’s more in a novel than just the story and the characters, and that, in fiction, there’s no such thing as originality, or an ordinary flea, rose, or snowflake.

A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines

As we’ve told you before, the spine of Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick” is a “get the whale” narrative. But, how is it that such a simple story is deemed one of the greatest novels in the history of literature?

Really, can “Moby-Dick” teach you how to live a better life?

Thomas C. Foster says that it can. Just like any other great book. That’s why he gives a “lively and entertaining guide” to reading between, behind, and above the lines.

So that you can learn how to read literature like a professor.

Who Should Read “How to Read Literature Like a Professor”? And Why?

In a world of constant distractions, we are mostly powering through life. And that includes reading as well. Not a good idea if you want to truly experience life. Or books, for that matter.

“How to Read Literature Like a Professor” strives to teach you how to change this. And, of course, this is something everybody should do. However – and naturally – literature students and young readers willing to acquire valuable interpretative tools will certainly be the ones to get the most of Foster’s useful book.

About Thomas C. Foster

Thomas C. Foster is a professor of contemporary literature at the University of Michigan-Flint. A beloved and popular lecturer, he has turned many of his engaging classes and workshops into bestseller books.

“How to Read Literature Like a Professor Summary”

Let us paint you a picture:

You’re at a friend’s house, watching a movie with few of your best friends. Half an hour in the movie, one of your friends cries “Oh, that’s what the movie is about!” even though the scene is a discussion about mutant genes.

And even though all of you are trying to convince this weirdo that you were watching “X-Men 2” and not “Philadelphia” he’s insisting that “X2” is a movie about gay rights!

Thomas C. Foster teaches you how to read books the second way. Or, to put it in more relatable terms: how to be that guy who got the gay reference in “X2” or figured out the twist in “The Sixth Sense” ten minutes into the movies! (Although, while we’re at it, Foster has written a book specifically about that as well).

And we already told you that your friend both knew more and was focused more than you. And that’s where literary analysis starts! It’s mostly about those two parts: memory and the power to notice. Usually, symbols, patterns, and literary devices.

First of all, you have to remember that, in literature, there’s no such thing as originality. Any creative person will tell you that. What literary critics are nowadays talking about is something opposite of uniqueness: Intertextuality.

It basically means that every book is a repository of many other books. And that you’re missing all the fun if you don’t know these other books! It’s basically like starting to watch a popular TV show from the 7th episode of the 9th season.

How many jokes would you get? And if you’re watching it a with a friend who has watched all the other episodes – who would enjoy the episode more.

In fact, here’s a quick quiz: what do “West Side Story,” “10 Things I Hate About You” and “The Lion King” have in common?

The answer might surprise you: Shakespeare! They are all modern adaptations of his plays.

If you haven’t noticed this before, read – but read them carefully – “Romeo and Juliet,” “The Taming of the Shrew,” and “Hamlet” once again. Then watch the movies. Trust us: you’ll find many new things that will tickle your fancy.

For example, you might start noticing some premonitions, foreshadowings and symbols. Almost every great book is filled with them! Whether it’s something simple as autumn representing old age, or something much more sinister as a doppelganger representing death or identity dissociation – take notice! They are not there for no reason!

For example, writing about sex was frowned upon for most of human history. Some writers, however, wanted to say something about it from time to time. And whether they were talking about worms and roses like Blake, or fleas like Donne – they did!

But, only the more perceptive knew!

Large-scale symbols are either allegories or formulaic patterns. Take for example, the quest pattern. It’s the most common one. And it basically revolves around the notion that the goal of the journey is the journey itself.

Whether it’s “The Lord of the Rings” or “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” locating the object of desire (a ring, a grail) is just an excuse for a series of adventures which turn heroes into cowards and ordinary men into heroes. And that’s what the story is about!

But, there’s a catch!

“Monty Python and the Holy Grail” and “Le Morte d’Arthur” are both tales about the same type of quest, just like “Don Quixote” and the knight novels. The difference is striking!

The reason:

Irony.

It’s the ultimate tool in the writer’s arsenal. It takes years to understand it. After all, it’s what can turn Homer’s “Odyssey” into a one-day Dublin narrative.

Key Lessons from “How to Read Literature Like a Professor”

Reading Starts with Your Memory Skills

Vladimir Nabokov, the writer of “Lolita,” once quipped that every good reader has to have a good “imagination, memory, a dictionary, and some artistic sense.”

Memory might seem like the odd one out in the list, but, in fact, it may be the most important one. Because, no book is original – each and every one of them is intertextual. That is, in every book there are at least few other books.

And you need to remember them to understand it better.

Be Careful Not to Miss Any Symbols or Patterns

Symbols and patterns are much more important than stories and characters. They are the ones which give depth and relevance. And, in more cases than one, they are fun! Because, authors are known to use them to plant Easter eggs inside their stories. Aimed especially at censors.

That’s It: You’ve Mastered Reading

No, that’s not it. The title is ironical. Which is something great authors use constantly to undermine the stories and check if you’re following. Once you are able to read Joyce’s “Ulysses” – a profoundly ironical novel – then you can say that you’ve mastered reading.

So, see you in a few years!

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Our Critical Review

“How to Read Literature Like a Professor” doesn’t merely explain how books convey meaning, and how one can unearth it. It also elucidates many techniques which you can use as a valuable tool to avoid misunderstandings in everyday life.

Who Should Read “The Creative Habit”? And Why?

Whether you’re a genius or merely a creative trainee, we’re pretty sure that you are anxious whenever you’re starting a new project. In “The Creative Habit,” Twyla Tharp has few advices which you will certainly find both interesting and practical.

If you’re an artist, you’ll find both the analogies and the people mentioned in this book inspiring. And we guarantee you that you’ll want to try at least one or two of the organizational techniques.

At least – we’re planning to!

About Twyla Tharp

Twyla Tharp is a New York-based dancer, one of the greatest choreographers of the 20th century. She has created more than one hundred dances for the most prestigious ballet houses in the US, and the world.

She has won two Emmy awards and a Tony award. In 1997, she was made an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

As we said above, the first step is to learn who you are and what you really like in life. The Ancient Greeks pinned it in a much more direct and concise manner: know thyself! For example, ask yourself what would you want to be, if there were no financial or logistical limitations. Or, even more creatively, ask yourself which name would you choose if you want to reinvent yourself at this moment.

Twyla Tharp retells a story about one interesting moment of enlightenment an art student experienced during a similar exercise. She asked the student to assign colors to a dance and music improvisation. Instead of a list of colors, he gave a 500-word exposé where the only color he mentioned was “limpid blue.”

The art student went on to become a writer. Up to this moment, he was in a state of DNA denial. Nurture works wonders – but it’s better if it has a foundation!

And nurture sets off when work becomes a routine!

True, it may be boring from time to time, but bear in mind that Stravinsky played a Bach fugue each and every day of his life. And he became a Stravinsky!

Practice makes perfect because that’s how your brain knows what you want to remember. And because that’s how your brain is fed with relevant information in order to build upon them for an idea of your own.

In fact, that’s originality! It’s not something mythical and unattainable. It’s something everybody can reach through hard work. When done elegantly and creatively, in art – stealing is legal. As a matter of fact, all but one of Shakespeare’s plots are not lifted from someone else’s books.

So, if you want to be original, learn how to steal. It sounds a lot worse than it actually is. Maybe that’s why Twyla Tharp uses the phrase “scratching for ideas.” In essence, it means finding anything which may sound interesting and relevant and save it, record it, or store it.

Make it much more literal!

Take a box and put these things inside. Open the box and look at them from time to time, trying to find some connection. When that clicks – take out the things which connected and put them in another box.

This box now represents your main idea. Tharp calls it your spine.

Develop it. See which skills are necessary to support the spine. For example, the spine of Herman Melville’s “Moby-Dick” is a simple idea: “get the whale.” However, supporting it, means finding out everything you can about writing novels, whales, sea life, obsessions, etc.

Don’t Reinvent the Wheel: Learn from the Past Masters

However, every single step forward you can think of was made through recombination! And each of the skills which allowed this to happen was developed through repetition.

So, do it!

Copy the past masters if you’re a painter, rewrite the old poems if you’re a poet. Because you’ll be able to move forward only if you get to the bottom of them!

Sometimes Necessity Can Be the Mother of Invention

Too little organization will get you nowhere! But, too much organization doesn’t work either! Sometimes, you may have to find a way to enjoy in the discomfort of deadlines and lack of resources! Just take Steven Spielberg for example: he got his best “Jaws” idea because he didn’t have the money to build an artificial shark!

Now and Then – Do Leave for Tomorrow That Which You Can Do Today

Benjamin Franklin left to the world many good advises. Not leaving anything you can do today for tomorrow wasn’t his best one – at least in terms of creativity.

Because, it’s good to have a bridge – and know your next step from the moment you wake up. Hemingway, for example, purposefully stopped at the most interesting part each day – so as to get the necessary fuel for the next morning!

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Our Critical Review

“The Creative Habit” is written by a person with admirable creative habits: even in her seventies, Twyla Tharp still goes to the gym after drinking her morning coffee. If that’s not a good blurb for a book with this kind of title – we don’t know what is!

The Dalai Lama’s Vision for Our World

We summarize the Dalai Lama’s perspective in a nutshell and offer you a life-altering opportunity.

Who Should Read “A Force for Good” And Why?

In truth, there is no greater good deed, than being able to enjoy spending time with yourself. To escape our thoughts, we are often involved in various activities, but that technique leaves you exactly where you started.

A Force for Good merges different cultures, standpoints, viewpoints, religions, and nations by emphasizing compassion and awareness. As such, it’s highly recommended to all individuals.

“A Force for Good Summary”

Even the Dalai Lama has a routine, unlikely behavior for a person whose life is dedicated to freedom. Each day at exact 5.30 a.m., the Dalai Lama – we couldn’t say “enjoy” rather than listens to the BBC news while eating his breakfast.

This time is crucial for understanding the world, not the actual news or events that caused distress. Violence, sorrow, and hate on every corner are only a reflection of what’s happening within. To deal with this reality, one must endure and manage to overcome the negative sensations.

We all share moral responsibility, and social accountability to make this world a better place.

A force for good doesn’t emerge from groups, or activists – it’s an internal privilege. Throughout the ages, we as humans improved our way of life by demonstrations and publicly expressing displeasure. However, the real game actually unfolds behind the curtains.

A simple mindset transformation can spark a powerful an inner shift that can effortlessly remove the attention from negative phenomena. In other words, the capacity to grow morally is decided only by you.

Are you capable of eliminating and eradicating all signs of frustrations, and hatred? – If you are ready for a full-scale shift, then start enforcing some moral principles in your life.

Hearing the news, he decided to stay calm and respond to the Chinese rule with compassion and love. Calmness is a powerful response in times of crisis; which once again showed Dalai Lama’s greatness.

Unlike other practices and laws, compassion doesn’t belong to any religion, nor is it bounded by principles. It’s merely an innate feeling, whereby one is aware of the reasons for the misbehavior of others. In truth, we all can find these roots deeply embedded in our hearts.

For instance, how can you describe the parental instinct? A 24/7 care, and love for our newborns is one sign of it. Even the genetics are supporting this claim, and we must be guided by it as well.

Three principles are best at describing compassion when put into action: fairness, transparency, and accountability. First and foremost, regardless of your status, education, or religious background – you must agree that all beings deserve fair treatment. Second, remain flexible and open to new solutions. Third, take full responsibility for your actions, don’t pass judgment on other people and don’t blame them for your mistakes.

This trio represents the foundation for being compassionate towards others – simple as that.

Behind the idea of wrongdoing, and right doing, compassion steps in. Your ego and arrogance are the only things that block your peace. If you learn how to engage in right actions, your suffering will reduce automatically, and you will instantly bring light to the world.

Confront injustice with peaceful action or sign of love; don’t add pain by being judgemental. Move from personhood to another more spacious approach and protect people’s right to happiness.

The unusual bond:

At first glance, we often get the wrong impression because things are not as straightforward as one might have hoped. The same logic manifests the togetherness of spirituality and science. Science on one end is based on facts, while spirituality is abstract.

So, what’s the purpose of this link?

Science, on one hand, connects the world by providing explanations on various niches. It’s linked to the need to adapt and operate in different communities. Religions, on the other hand, are more concerned with our intentions and obedience.

Lacking love, understanding, and freedom are primarily responsible for the death of ethics and morality in the workplace. Both democracy and communism are contributing to worldly corruption, exploitation, unequal wealth distribution, selfishness and so on.

We cannot turn a blind eye, to the fact that our governments are intentionally creating a greater gap between the rich and the poor.

The 21st century produces a new set of “profit-junkies” who perceive money as the center of the universe. Their obsession can only be matched by the corruption of our system. The chaos spreads with lightning speed; it’s time that we do something about it in order to prevent a total disaster.

Key Lessons from “A Force for Good”

1. The inner call2.We all deserve equal treatment3.The guilty-party is within

The inner call

If we preserve stubborn and “blindfold” attitude to the worldly corruption, then the destructive activities will only continue to pile up. So, why we must peacefully oppose these concepts?

In truth, only compassion can spark change.

We all deserve equal treatment

Probably no one has told you, but as humans, we all deserve to taste freedom on our lips. Exploiting your potential can only be reached with a pure heart.

The society neglects this law and continues to behave unfairly towards some groups.

The guilty-party is within

In general, people often blame the system for their problems, forgetting that they themselves are part of the same hypocrisy.

Neither the economic, state, or legal governance are the real culprit for what’s going on.

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